Year || 503 Season || Fall Temp || 35℉ (℃) - 69℉ (℃) Weather || The iron grip of Summer has slowly faded into the gentler Fall embrace. The morning dew frosts over in the early morning hours and melts by the time the sun hits high in the sky. Many of the trees have traded their lush, vivid green for a more suitable array of red and orange hues. But don't blink, for Winter's cold embrace is fast upon Fall's heels.

"Are there lines she's crossing? Should she toe them or touch them with a pole and stay away wholly? But to avoid such a storm he offers, such a taste of life; to withhold herself from the chance to taste starlight, to love satin and silk and swallow pomegranate seeds not yet offered... She should be stronger." — Moira in Small as a wish in a well

Noise filled the streets, and echoed off the stone walls. Sellers rang out, crying into the streets in melodies, harmonizing with each other and holding up objects colorful and exotic. All around mares, stallions, and youths walked about the street dodging the still slightly too playful pygmy dragons and hawkers shoving items into their space. Beautiful in its flashes of colors and melodies, all while the sun sank below the horizon and the night dawned.

In all the glimmering trinkets and night life of Caligo’s market he might be easy to miss. Slipped into an empty stall, leaning slightly against a darkened side he stood looking out over the crowd. It was, he was finding, his favorite spot. From here he could see down the row of stalls towards the docks, then up towards the center, and just barely into it. Here the callers were the loudest and the dances, music, and laughter drifted down from the central plaza. Here he could lean into the shadows and not draw attention, here he could watch without being seen. A thief’s hidden post.

That afternoon he’d already nabbed a few coins, so the takings were small, but he hadn’t really been trying, just looking for a game. Now as night settled the gold drank in the maddening atmosphere in its smoke and colorful sounds. Why he loved this market he could not say. Oh to be sure the easy targets were quite a delight, but in this shadow he’d found, watching exotic colored coats, and shapes drift by, he did not want to leave. It was strange, even to him. All his life the gold, while enjoying the company of others mostly, had hated towering walls and thick crowds. Large gatherings he avoided by keeping to the outskirts and even lands of towering mountains he’d shrugged off. But here, here it fit. Here, it felt like close, warm, and encasing, but it slipped over his personality like a second skin.

The night was accelerating, the noise getting louder and louder as if at the height of a grand party. The crowd was at its climax for the evening, and now was the time for a real show. His own personal one. Slipping from his shadow into the crowds he walks down the street towards the center. He’d chosen his target an hour ago, having picked a leg cuff from it the day before (sold for a pretty profit too). A small crowd gathered around a jewelry stand, and had been gathered from some time. The caller had been enticing all kinds to try on the most ornate jewelry, set with stones and made from the finest metals. Its qualities he’d been singing all night, and his attempts to sell it were heavy. Strong eye contact, a seemingly captivated attention, all qualities to guarantee the young mare or handsome stallion knew they had gone from dull to stunning and brilliant with their chosen piece. Yet it also left him open for someone in the crowd to slip in, unnoticed.

The gold, coat set a fire in the torch lite street, slide through the onlookers to the stall. The caller was making a grand sale of the most elaborate horn cuffs and chains when extended down into a necklace. He’d pulled in several others interested in the same by making a show of the one. The gold bid his time, and made his way towards the less noticed side. There, a collared necklace. Silver, richly engraved and set with opals pearls and all manner of other stones. It would sit beautifully with his circlet, till he sold it. Earth eyes glance once more around as they turn to the mare all were admiring (noting the one guardsman in the corner, who was flirting too heavily with a pretty lass, distracted). Time to begin.

“Yes darling it looks so lovely on you.” He chimed in, easing into the flow of the sale. “But silver darling with such a pretty bay head, surely gold would suit.” The mare looked confused, who was he? But others admiring the jewelry agreed with this strange golden. The caller, knowing the price rise began to agree. “Then gold, surely you must have gold, let us see her in it.” As he spoke, the collar on the table began to steadily lift, hanging just barely above the cloth. The crowd called out for gold as well and the caller looked at his table to find the items he sought. He found it, as the gold knew he would, on the farthest end of the table, bringing it up to flash in the fire’s light. As the crowd’s full attention was taken away in a breath, the silver collar in the darkened quieter side, slide in a flash from the table and under the table, tucking under the table cloth. The gold’s smile as they placed the headpiece of the mare grew wild and bright.

Now to slip it from this stall to the next, where he could stash it until he could come for it later. He just needed to- “HEY!” A shout rang across the street, and the gold, along with the crowd turned. Tasseled tail instinctively sweeping to in front of the table cloth which still waved from the stealth. Earth eyes found the guard, alert, buffed up, and coming from his giggling girl….straight towards him. Great, Mr. Flirt wanted to show off.

Never one to panic, the gold let himself slip into a charade. Innocent face looked to those around, but the guard called again as he closed in. “Hey you!” Confusion bloomed on the gold’s face, wrinkling his brow and tilting his head. He went to speak ( “Yes wha-“) but was interrupted by the guard’s pretty little companion. “Oh be careful sweetie!” It shouted, full of a flirtatious anxiety. God he was going to be sick. If getting caught wasn’t bad enough, he at least should be spared being the reason this asshat got lucky tonight. The guard had chest puffed out more and spit at him. “Where’s the necklace you street rat.” Shit. Innocence didn’t play, next. “How dare you speak to me, a noble, that way! I have do not have a necklace.” Crowned head had risen high, cloven hooves step forward, regality settled on his body, and he met the brute’s eyes with the hard gold cores of his. It was true, he wasn’t hold the necklace, technically.

Even the gold could see the situation was…not in his favor (the self-criticism of his errors could come later), but if he was going to go down, then by god he’d make a show of it.

OOC:: Permission given to take over the guard/lady of the evening/caller ect SPEECH